Woburn Local

By Bruce Coulter

Wed Jul 23, 2008, 06:38 PM EDT

Agencies serving Bay State elders are predicting a “no heat, no eat” winter for many senior citizens, a problem that could expand for the thousands of caregivers who, in many cases, are supporting their own families on minimum-wage paychecks.

Joan Butler, executive director of Minuteman Senior Services in Lexington, said the organization is providing support to more than 1,600 low-income homebound seniors who could find themselves without heat or food this winter, thanks largely to rising fuel and food costs. The agency serves some 292 people in Woburn. (more…)

(AP) Governor Patrick says there’s a real possibility that people in America could freeze to death this winter due to the soaring cost of home heating fuel.  Patrick met  with members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation on Capitol Hill and later testified before a House panel on the need for heating aid in cold-weather states.

Patrick said the cost of heating a home — whether by electricity, gas or oil — is expected to cost between 20 and 31 percent more than a year ago. He said that will have an impact on many families, and not just those who are defined as low-income.

The House has approved legislation to double the government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to 5.1 billion dollars for the coming winter.   According to the Associated Press, Massachusetts would receive 163 million dollars under the plan, an increase of 36 million dollars from the last fiscal year.  The Senate must still sign off on the measure.  Meantime, Maryann Covalanski, who runs the Springfield Fuel Assistance Program says that it will help…but even more is needed.

The REAS Foundation is pleased to announce, that it has awarded its first energy assistance grants to qualifying Sturbridge seniors. Clearly, those awards are distributed on behalf of those Sturbridge residents and businesses, who are members of the 10K Circle of Friends and 10K Circle of Businesses.

Those of you who have partnered with us thus far, as well as those of you who will soon be joining our 10K Circles, are the true conveyors of these gifts; we at the REAS Foundation are merely acting as your fiduciary agents. It is a role that we are most honored to fulfill, and one we take very seriously on your behalf.

Each of you, as members of our 10K Circles, are the reason that hope is easing some of the despair experienced by members of our community, during these uncertain economic times.

Your sense of compassion, commitment, and community, are the driving force behind the successful fundraising efforts thus far undertaken on your behalf, by the REAS Foundation. Without your support and generosity, our collective Foundation, of which you are surely members, is nothing but a name, and as such, would be of little consequence.

But, with the support of each of you who have thus far given, and certainly those who will soon give, the REAS Foundation has become a living, breathing extension of the great sense of kinship that exists here in Sturbridge. You have helped create something very special in terms of reestablishing community, as the central focus of our shared efforts, by means of true fellowship.  

While many across the nation are struggling to find solutions to the coming crisis faced by our seniors, you, the residents and businesses of Sturbridge, have demonstrated incredible community resolve in addressing this issue locally, one neighbor at a time.

Community is a term that has several meanings; 1) people with common interests living in a particular area; 2) an interacting population of various kinds of individuals; 3) a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests. Though each of these definitions are certainly applicable, they seem a tad too sterile to adequately describe what has happened here in Sturbridge.

Perhaps, the best definition of what is taking place within our community, is the manifestation of a “fellowship of interest, activity, feeling, and experience”. Truly, there is great interest and activity surrounding this endeavor, and it is no doubt that much of it comes from each of us experiencing the need to do something tangible, and the feeling that each of us can truly make a difference. 

It is great to live in a community, but it is so much more rewarding and fulfilling to live within this great community; filled with an abundance of fellowship.  

The following article appeared in the Boston Herald, September 21, 2008.

As cash-strapped Bay Staters scramble for cheap ways to heat their homes, the state fire marshal is warning that the national energy crisis could unleash a devastating wave of costly and potentially deadly fires this winter.

“I think it will be very dangerous,” said state Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan. “Historically and statistically we know that it only takes really that first cold night when those furnaces kick on, the first log is put into the fire, when the first space heater is plugged into the wall. From a fire standpoint, those are bad nights for us.”

Heating-equipment blazes are the second leading cause of residential fires in Massachusetts, accounting for 14,075 fires, 15 civilian deaths, 59 civilian injuries, 117 firefighter injuries and $56 million in damages from 2003 to 2007, according to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System. (more…)

The following post is excerpted from the August 2008 issue of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), newsletter. 

“Before the summer heat waves hit, states had begun planning for the winter of 2008-09 and the heavy energy burdens LIHEAP households will face.

Not only were many states still helping low-income households pay last winter’s bills and cope with disconnections, but they were also hearing that next winter’s heating bills will increase dramatically.

The Energy Information Administration said the average price of natural gas next winter will be 53 percent higher than it was last winter and the cost of home heating oil will increase more than 41 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008. 

As of mid-July, Northeast states were seeing heating oil prices in the $4.50 per gallon range and were worrying how they could assist customers when expected LIHEAP funds won’t even cover a minimum oil delivery of 100 gallons. (According to most predictions, LIHEAP FY 2009 funding will be included in a Continuing Resolution that will likely extend into early 2009 at a preliminary level of $1.98 billion, upon which states will initially base their benefits.)

In prior years, consumers could better deal with winter heating costs by pre-buying their oil in the summer, but as one New Hampshire dealer said, the costs and risks have become prohibitive. With the current average price of heating oil at $4.53 a gallon, and the average use in New Hampshire about 800 gallons each winter, a pre-buy contract can cost as much as $4,000.

This year, newspaper articles from across the Northeast say heating oil dealers aren’t offering the capped plans because they can’t afford the financial outlays. In fact, the livelihood of some has been threatened. It was reported that three companies had failed in Connecticut.”

“The greatness of a community is ultimately judged not so much by the beauty or magnificence of its structures, but rather, by its compassion, contributions, and care for its most vulnerable members.” So reads the first sentence of the REAS Foundation Mission Statement, as it is one of the core values held by members of our organization. It is apparent as well, that “…care for its most vulnerable members”, is an overwhelming value shared by the members of this community.

In just eight weeks of “passive fundraising”, Sturbridge residents and businesses have demonstrated their amazing sense of kinship and generosity by contributing over $13,000 in support of energy assistance for Sturbridge seniors. Since the announcement of the REAS Foundation 10K Circle of Friends and 10K Circle of Businesses on July 16, 2008,  the commitment and devotion of this community has enabled us to reach the 63% mark of our fundraising efforts.   

This is nothing short of incredible, and clearly speaks to the compassion of Sturbridge residents and businesses, who each day are demonstrating their deep concern for the well-being of their neighbors.

Each day, as the temperature drops and we consider adjustments to our energy usage, we are reminded that members of our senior community may not have the means to offset the coming challenges between fuel, food, and energy costs. These residents, who for decades, have contributed to our society are now faced with costs that are quickly outpacing their limited incomes and cost of living adjustments, for those who may be so fortunate to have such.

Most of these senior members of our community are unwilling to reach out for help, as many have lived their lives giving, as opposed to receiving. Seeking assistance for themselves, is a concept that contradicts many of the core beliefs held by these individuals, who have spent their lives making do with what they had, regardless of its limitations.

Now however, the crushing costs of food, health-care, and energy, coupled with taxes and escalating costs across the boards, have placed many of our seniors in a perilous predicament. For many, the future looks bleak.

Yet, here in Sturbridge, these same individuals are now experiencing a renewed sense of hope, as they lay witness each day, to the incredible generosity and devotion of their neighbors within this community. Each of you who have given thus far, and certainly those of you who will give in the future, are the ones responsible for introducing hope back into the lives of these residents. It is your generosity, your compassion, your sense of community, that is reducing the sense of desperation some of our seniors are experiencing.

We at the REAS Foundation, are grateful to be a vehicle for the generosity of Sturbridge residents and businesses, and are humbled, that you have allowed us to be a part of the success, this endeavor has enjoyed thus far.

We do recognize though, that all signs point to a very difficult winter here in the northeast, and it will surely “take a village”, or in this case an entire community, to soften the blow on our most vulnerable residents. The continued support of each of us within the community is critical, if we are to be successful in reaching all of our seniors needing assistance.

Thomas R. Creamer - Executive Director

The following tips should, according to the NSTAR website, “save you energy and help your budget as the weather cools down”. More information can be obtained directly from the NSTAR website at: http://www.nstar.com/residential/energy_efficiency/fall_winter.asp.

• Set your thermostat no higher than 68 degrees when you are home and lower the temperature when you go to bed or when you are not at home. This will ensure optimal home heating and save energy.
• For every degree you lower your thermostat you save about 2 percent off your heating bill.
• Cut annual heating bills by as much as 10 percent a year by turning your thermostat back 10 to 15 percent for eight hours a day.
• Weatherize your home by caulking and weather-stripping all doors and windows. Also use locks on your windows to make them tighter and draft resistant.
• Insulate or increase the amount of insulation in your attic, basement and outside walls. Also cover through-the-wall air conditioners to prevent cold air from leaking into your home.
• Reducing air leaks could cut 10 percent from an average household’s monthly energy bill. The most common places where air escapes homes are: floors, walls, ceilings, ducts, fireplaces, plumbing penetrations, doors, windows, fans, vents and electrical outlets.
• Keep shades and curtains open during the day on the south side of your home to allow solar heating. Close them at night to retain heat.
• Don’t block your radiators or heating vents with furniture or draperies. Keep your radiators, registers and baseboard heaters dirt and dust free. Close vents and doors in unused rooms.
• Have your heating system serviced once a year and regularly replace furnace filters. During the heating season, change or clean furnace filters once a month.
• Close the fireplace damper when not in use.
• Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to save money on your energy bill. If you have children in the house, this is also a safety measure
• Install water-flow restrictors in showerheads and faucets.
• Place a sheet of aluminum foil between the radiator and the wall to reflect heat back into the room.

The following story was published in today’s  Telegram and Gazette.

Drop expected in federal aid

WORCESTER— Just in time for the $3.93 per gallon home heating oil season — a 30 percent decrease in federal fuel assistance to needy Massachusetts residents.

Yesterday, about 35 people, including Gov. Deval L. Patrick, attended the third hearing on the state Winter Energy Costs Task Force, held in Hebert Auditorium at Quinsigamond Community College. Mr. Patrick predicted that the rapid increase in the price of heating oil is going to affect more than just low-income people.

In a hearing chaired by Energy Secretary Ian Bowles, the governor applauded the Legislature for appropriating $10 million to supplement the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, but he said the state may have to do more. LIHEAP money to Massachusetts will drop 30 percent from about $115 million last winter to $80 million this year, state officials said. (more…)

Sturbridge Service Center owner Craig Moran, presented REAS Foundation Chairman Scott Garieri and Vice-Chairman - James Malloy, with a $1000.00 donation today, to become the latest member of the 10K Circle of Businesses, an effort to raise $10,000 from Sturbridge Businesses.

Mr. Moran (far right in photo), who has lived in Sturbridge for 21 years, stated that “the crisis facing our seniors, is a crisis facing all of us, and one that demands a community response. As a resident and a business member of this community, I want to be part of the solution to the problems facing our seniors.” Mr. Moran went on to “challenge local businesses to do whatever they can financially to help with the coming crisis which will have its greatest impact on our seniors”. 

Chairman Scott Garieri, stated that “Craig’s donation demonstrates the true sense of community that our residents and businesses bring to the table as members of this community”. He thanked Mr. Moran for “his generous donation” and urged “other businesses to help in any way they could”.

Vice-Chairman James Malloy thanked “Craig for his generosity and his willingness to play such a significant role in helping Sturbridge seniors”. Mr. Malloy added that “We are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals within our community”.

Executive Director Thomas R. Creamer added that “the donation by Craig Moran on behalf of Sturbridge Service Center. will enhance our ability to provide relief to Sturbridge seniors who will be faced with difficult decisions in the months ahead”. He added that “Craig’s gift is a lifeline to those facing desperate times”.